7 of 30: Floral Buttons

Dress: Lovely Day via ModCloth; Cardi: Uno Core via ModCloth; Belt: Urban Outfitters; Flats: Blowfish via TJ Maxx

I have to admit, this is not the most flattering combo overall, but it's the little details of the dress and cardigan that make me happy inside. Specifically, the unique collar and floral buttons of the dress and the strips of vintage pattern, lace, and mesh on the cardi. And I really like how the floral buttons on the dress echo the floral pattern on the shoulder of the cardi. This is another wonderfully soft and comfy dress, and it's quite flattering on its own. The problem with the cardi is that the buttons don't stay closed, so I decided to belt the whole thing -- I'm ambivalent about how well that worked.

Bottom line for me: all of the details on the cardi were competing too hard with the dress collar. I think the cardi would look really great with jeans and a simple tank, and the dress with some olive or peach tights and more simple outerwear -- a couple of good ideas for later 30 for 30 outfits. Let's chalk this up as a learning experience. The lesson learned: stacking the interesting details in the same place (in this case, my shoulder area) creates noise rather than harmony.

xo, Gladys

P.S. I'm almost 25% done with the challenge!